Wheel.



PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

L. LONG. WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED 00123. 1906.

ill/4 2200% 5 575 I I INVEN TOR 'ATTOHNEYS ozzzLsLon rial, and the side members c of the tire and' PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS LONG, OF BUCHANAN, NEW YORK.

WEEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed October 3.190s. Serial to. 337.243.'

To all whom it may concern:

the United States, and residing at Buchanan, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheels, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wheels for vehicles, and particularly to wheels for bicycles,

tricycles and other light vehicles operatedeither by the rider or by power; and the ob-' 'ect thereof isto provide a wheel of this class involving the advantages of an elastic or pneumatic tire, and which also involves the principle of the suspended hub in which the ub and weight. carried thereby are sus-.

pended from the rim or tire a further object eing to provide a wheel of the class specified which in additionto being used on small or light vehicles of the class described, may also be used when properly made on or in connection with other vehicles of various kinds and classes. I P The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying dra'win forms-a part, in which the separate parts 0 my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a central section through'a wheel made according to my invention, the hub and hub'conneotions of the spokes being broken out so as to show the tire and rim construction on a larger'scale and, Fig. 2 a sectional side view ofa part of the rim and tire construction.

' In the drawing-forming part of this specification I have shown at a, the spokes of a wheel of the class to which my invention is applied, and these spokes,are,'in practice,

similar to those of an ordinary bicycle, tri

cycle or similar vehicle and are connected with the hub of the wheel in the .usual or any desired manner, the hub of the wheel in Fig.

1 of the drawing being omitted or broken out in order to show the tire and rim construction on a larger scale.

The tire and rim construction comprises a tire roper which is shown at b and with which are connected side members 0. The tire proper consists of a metal plate and may be provided with a supplemental covering-b of rubber, leather or any other suitable mateposed of metal and are annular in formas will be understood, and are connected with the tire proper by means of bolts 6 and the eentral portlons thereof are outwardly curved and the inner edges thereof are curved inwardly to form flanges c and the space be- .tween theinwardly directed flan es 0 of the side members I: is closed by as exible and elastic sheet (1 of rubber orsimilarmaterial. The flexible and elastic sheet (1, which also forms a part ofthe tire and rim construction, is connected with the side members 0 by means of annular boxes or keepers c which are U-shaped in cross section and are secured to the outer sides of the side members 0 at a predetermined distance from the edges of the inwardly directed flanges c bfmeans of bolts e or in any desired way, and the edges of the flexible sheet (1 are secured in the an: nular boxes e by means of rin s or bands 6 the ends of WhlC-lI are preferaily connected as shown in Fig} 2 by means of a bolt e having reversed threads on its 0 posite ends and provided with a central huii may be turned, and in this way the rings or d int-he boxes The flexible sheet d is composed of two er f, and the separate parts of the central annular member lner surfaces wit grooves f in which, are placed rings or hands) similar to the rings v-.or' bands e and by means of which the inner edges of the separate parts of the flexible sheet d are secured to the central annular member f.

The central annular member f is, in practice, referably'composed of two parts bolted toget er as shown at f, and in ractice the spokes a are passed therethroug as clearly s own in Fig. 1, the separate parts of the central annular member being rovided with bosses f 5 through whic thespo es are passed, and the bosses f 5 are alternately arranged at rim' construction are also preferably" com- I Be it known that I LoUIs LONG, acltizen ofe by which it v "bands e maye tightened so as to securely holdthem and the edgesof the flexible sheet parts connected by a central annular memare provided in their inpredetermined different angles and the alter nate spokes a pass through said bosses at the same angle.

placed a rim g with which the spokes a are connected as shown at g, this. connection be-- "ing preferably made by means of bosses formedon or in connection with said and the rim g is preferably substantially segmental in cross section, and placed in the central outer part thereof is a the g com posed. of rubber, rubber and canvas or similar material. V

The inwardly directed annular flanges c? of the side members 0 of the main outer part of the tire and rim construction are connected b means of spiral springs h, and in the form oi construction shown this connection is made in the following manner. Each end of the springs 7L is provided with a head b through which is passed a screw 'i, and in the opposite sides of the rim g and in theinwardly directed flan es 0 of the side members c are secured g ands j through which the screws '2' are passed, and said screws are 1plrovided at their outer ends with spherical eads i which fit in corresponding recesses in the glands j, and the screws-i are provided bet'w een the heads k of the springs h and the.

I glands with set nuts 01 The spokes a are secured in the bosses f 5 and with the construction described it will be seen that the running tire composed of the parts I) and c is suspended-by means of the springs 7t, and in the normal position of all the parts of the wheel when there is no load on the wheel, as for instance when the wheel is suspended freely on aspindle, the tire I) andt e rim 9 are equidistant at all points, but when a load is placed on the wheel, or the vehicle with which the wheel is connected is loaded, the-separate parts of tire and rim construction assume the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position the tread tire I) bears on the tire g which is connected with the rim 9 as shown at the bottom of Fig. 1, the distance between the tread tire I) an d the tire 9 being increased, as shown at the top of Fig. 1, and inthis way the load,-

whatever it may be, is suspended from the top of the rim 'g in any position that the wheel may assume, thereby causing the springs h at the top of the wheel to be com ressed and "the springs h at the bottom of t e wheel to be extended. Y

The tire construction proper consists of the tread tire I), the side membersc and the flexible sheet d and these parts form an annular space in which the rim g and'the springs 71. are placed, and the sheet (1 which may be composed of rubber, rubber and canvas or any other flexible and elastic material, forms as-.;will be seen a closure device for the annular space in which the rim g and springs h are placed and excludes dirt from saidspace, 'and'in the operation of the wheel as herein described the said sheet (1 bends or is forced fieations of the construction herein described may be made without departing fromthe spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages, v

'Although I'have described the sheet d as forming a part of the tire construction, it will.

be seen that the running tire actually consists of the tread tire I) and'the side members'c, and

this runningtir'e'pos'sesses a greater or less degree of flexibility and elasticity according to the method" of .its construction and is .sus-

pended from the rim g with which the s okes a are rigidly connected, this'suspension eing- 'accom lished by means of the tension sp'rings h, an

with this construction the runnin tire-proper as will be seen incloses the rigir. rim g, and this construction of the running tire will yield to the influence or 'nn act that may be a plied thereto either at right angles to the hu or diagonally thereto. I

Having fully described 7 my invention, what I claim as new and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is; I

1. In a wheel, a rim and tireiconstiruction comprising a, rim member with whicdthe spokes are connected, said spokes being crossed and the alternate spokes connected with the opposite side portions of said run member, and a runningtire of greater diameter than said rim member .andhaving in-' wardly directed sideporti-ons which inclose said rim member, andinwardly directedspiral springs connecting said rim member and the inwardly directed portions of the run ning-tire,-substantially as shown and described.

crossed and the alternate spokes connected with the opposite side portions of said rim member, and a running tire of greaterdia'meter than said rirn member and having in 2.-. In a wheel, a rim and tire construction comprising a rim member with WhlCll the spokes are connected, said. spokes being alternate springs being connected withthe opposite'side portions of the running tire,-

substantially as shown and described. v

- 3. In a wheel, arim and tire construction comprising a rim member with which thespokes are connected, said spokes being crossed and the alternate spokes connected with the opposite side portions of said rim membenand a running tire of greater diameter than said rim member and having inwardly directedside portions which inclose said rim member, and inwardly directed spiral springs connecting said rim member and the inwardly directed portions of the running tire, said spiral springs being crossed and the alternate springs being connected with the opposite side portions of the running tire,

andthe end connections of said springs being adjustable ball and socket connections, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a wheel, a rim and tire constrgrction comprising a rim member with which the spokes are connected, said spokes being crossed and the alternate'spokes connected with the opposite side portions of said rim member, and a running tire of greater diameter than said rim member and having'inwardly directed side portions which inclose said rim member, and'in'wardly directed spiral springs connecting said rim member and the inwardly directed portions of the running tire, said spi ral springs being crossed and the alteinate springs .being connected with the opposite side portions of the running tire, and the end connections of saidsprings being adjustable ball and socket connections, the inwardly directed side portions of the'r'unning tire being also connected by aflexible cover through which the spokes are passed and with which said spokes are connected,

' substantially as shown and described. 5. In a wheel/a rim and tire construction comprising a tread tire, inwardly directed annular side members connected therewith and the inner edges of which are separated by an annular space and cur ed inwardly, said tread tire and side members forming a circular chamber which opens inwardly, a rim placed in said circular-chamber and of less diameter than said' tread tire, and inwardly directed tension springs connected with the opposite sides of the rim and with the inwardly directed edges of said side members, the spokes of the wheel being passed into said annular chamber and connected with the rim.-

6. In a wheel, a rim and tire construction comprising a tread tire, inwardly directed annular sidemembers connected therewith and the inner edges of which are separated by an annular space and curved inwardly,

said tread tire and side members forming a circular chamber which opens inwardly, a

r1m placed in said circular chamber and of p less diameter than said tread tire, and inwardly directed tension springs connected with the opposite sides of the rim and with the inwardly directed edges of said side members, the spokes of the wheel being passed into said annular chamber and connected with the rim, and the annular opening formed by the inwardly directed edges of the'side' members being closed by a flexible comprising a tread tire, inwardly directed side members secured thereto and'the inner edges of which are separated, said tread tire and said side members forming an annular chamber which opens inwardly, a rim placed in said circular chamber and of less diameter than the tread tire, and tension'springs secured to the opposite side portions of the-rim and to the inwardly directed edges of said side members, the spokes of the wheel being alternately crossed and passed into said annular chamber and connected with the opp0-' site side portions of said rim.

8. In a wheel, a rim and tire construction comprising a tread tire, inwardly directed side members secured thereto and the inner edges of which are separated, said tread tire and said side members forming an annular chamber which opens inwardly, arim placed in said circular chamber and of less diameter than the tread .tire, and tension springs secured to the opposite side portions of the rim and to the inwardly directed edges of said side members, the spokes of the wheel being alternately crossed and passed into said 11- nular chamber and connected with the op 0- site side portions of said rim, and a flexible sheet secured to the side members and closing the opening of said annular chamber and through which the spokes arepassed and'in which said spokes are secured.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 29th day of September 1906.

LOUIS LONG.

W itnesses: I

GEORGE J. SHAW, A. D. MABIEND. 

